The necessity of routine oil changes for the trouble-free operation of an automotive vehicle is well documented. Such maintenance is one of the most cost-effective measures which can be taken toward preserving and prolonging the useful life of an internal combustion engine. Such measures reap additional rewards in the environmental arena as it is also well documented that proper engine maintenance can positively effect vehicle emissions and the like.
Unfortunately, the process of changing engine oil can be both time-consuming and messy. Thus, it is not considered a highly pleasant activity and, as such, is likely to be postponed or ignored to the detriment of the internal combustion engine. In fleet vehicles routine maintenance such as scheduled oil changes may be mandated by fleet operations. While this may ensure that the vehicles are routinely service, it does nothing to reduce or eliminate the time and mess involved in oil change operations. These problems are costly to the fleet owner both in terms of down-time and the necessity to ensure that the oil change procedures and spent oil generated therefrom is conducted and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
In previous patents, the present inventor has proposed methods whereby oil change operations can be accomplished in a unified, essentially spill-free manner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,033, the inventor disclosed a sandwich adapter which could be interposed between the engine oil filter and the oil filter mounting boss present on the internal combustion engine to permit removal of engine oil present in the oil filter and to permit introduction of purge gas and flushing fluid through the adapter into the internal lube oil passage system of the internal combustion engine to accomplish removal of residual oil and contaminants from this region. The adapter disclosed therein had a first face adapted to sealingly contact and surround the openings in the internal lube oil passage system which communicated with the filter mounting boss and a second face adapted to sealingly connect with the oil filter unit. The sandwich adapter included a nipple extending through a central through bore in the adapter. The nipple was specifically modified to include a plurality of apertures to facilitate fluid flow from an inlet channel communicating with the exterior of the adapter into the center of the nipple and on to the internal lube oil distribution passages as well as through the filtration media contained in the attached oil filter unit. The flush fluid passing through the oil filter unit progressed in a counter current fashion and was conveyed out of the circuit by a suitable exit line also in fluid communication with the sandwich adapter. While this device and the method disclosed address some of the problems inherent in oil change procedures, the device as disclosed, in some instances was found to be cumbersome to use, particularly in situation in which oil change without reverse (counter current) flush cleaning of the oil filter is all that is required. The adapter was configured to permit removal of residual oil contained in the filter during an oil change operation and to permit introduction of flush fluid there through. The orientation of the inlet and outlet openings as well as the necessary hoses associated therewith makes universal adoption of the sandwich adapter disclosed therein difficult, time consuming and cumbersome due to the space constraints found in many engine configurations.
Other devices have been proposed which address different aspects of the oil change procedure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,656 to Norwood discloses an automotive oil filter precharging arrangement which included an adapter interposed between the oil filter and the oil filter mounting boss located on the internal combustion engine. The adapter included a mounting plate, a threaded nipple received in a central through bore onto which the oil filter unit can be attached, and a threaded plug received within a single threaded port in fluid communication with one of the inlet holes also located in the mounting plate. In operation, after a new filter has been attached to the mounting plate, the threaded plug is removed and a small quantity of the fresh oil required in an oil change operation is fed in a non-automated fashion into the oil filter by a funnel, spout, oil pump gun or the like. After the oil filter is charged with oil, the threaded plug must be manually replaced. The oil in the filter was readily available to the engine upon start-up to minimize engine wear.
The Norwood reference does not address the remaining portions of the oil change procedure. Major drawbacks to the process disclosed in the Norwood reference include: (a) the cumbersome nature of the charging process and the risk of oil spillage during oil introduction; and (b) the mounting adapter disclosed in the Norwood reference would be difficult to use in engines having tight clearances and other orientation and space constraints. In order to achieve free orientation of the Norwood adapter relative to the engine, it would be necessary to replace the existing mounting boss nipple with the nipple disclosed in the Norwood reference. In many instances, the mounting boss nipple is permanently or nearly permanently mounted of the existing nipple on the engine. In such instances a device such as the Norwood adapter would be difficult, if not impossible to successfully employ.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,205 to Bewley, a method and apparatus for changing engine oil is disclosed in which a cylindrical adapter is mounted in fluid contact with the internal combustion engine of a vehicle. The cylindrical adapter disclosed in Bewley is connected to flexible hoses which have male portions of quick connect coupling members at their extremities. The quick connect hoses connect to two mating coupling members located on a second mount separate from the cylindrical adapter to which the oil filter unit is connected. The cylindrical mounting adapter carries a motor-driven reversible-action pump which is connected by a flexible hose to the bottom of the engine oil pan. When the second mount is connected with a suitable plastic container reservoir and the adapter mounted pump is energized, spent oil is removed from the engine to the plastic container. Once the spent oil is removed, a new plastic container filled with fresh oil can be connected and the pump direction reversed to permit replacement of the removed spent oil with fresh engine oil. The method and apparatus are cumbersome and provide several opportunities for oil spillage and the like.
To date, none of the proposed devices provide for an efficient and cost-effective means to manufacture and supply spill-free oil removal devices for an internal combustion engine. It would be desirable to provide a convenient, environmentally safe, no-mess alternative to conventional oil changes which reduces the time and labor required in the process and reduces the chances for oil spillage before, during and after the oil change operation. It is also desirable to provide an oil filter mounting adapter which can be successfully employed in complete oil change operations. It is desirable that the mounting adapter provides an access to the unfiltered oil side of the filter for providing a more complete and an improved oil change. It is further desirable that the mounting adapter provides convenient access for automatic oil changes; and does not interfere with oil filter replacement. Finally, it is desirable to provide an apparatus which is economical to manufacture and can be readily employed on internal combustion engines of varying configurations with minimal change to the engine design or operation.